Saudi Arabia could buy nuclear weapons from Pakistan: US Senator Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON: Amid mounting tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran over execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, a top US Senator has expressed concern that Riyadh could purchase nuclear weapons from Pakistan thus further destabilise the Middle East.

"Saudi has good relationships with Pakistan. They could just buy a weapon and again further destabilise the Middle East," Senator Ron Johnson told a television channel in an interview.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia, the main Sunni power, and Shiite-dominated Iran over Riyadh's execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr have erupted this week into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, sparking widespread worries of regional instability.

The crisis has raised fears of an increase in sectarian violence in the Middle East.